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  • US politicians react to Trump’s Iran ceasefire with caution, relief

    US politicians react to Trump’s Iran ceasefire with caution, relief

    Washington, DC – Politicians in the United States have largely welcomed the truce with Iran, with some of President Donald Trump’s Republican allies voicing scepticism about a possible deal, as Democrats renewed calls for accountability over an “illegal war”.

    Trump announced the ceasefire on Tuesday, about 10 hours after proclaiming that a “whole civilization will die tonight”. The two-week truce will see Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran and Washington negotiate a lasting end to the war.

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    Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally and one of the most vocal Iran hawks in Congress, said he preferred diplomacy and appreciated “the hard work of all involved in trying to find a diplomatic solution”.

    But he said he was “extremely cautious” about reports surrounding the ceasefire agreement.

    Trump had said in his ceasefire announcement that the US and Iran were “very far along with a definitive” agreement and described a 10-point plan proposed by Tehran as a “workable basis on which to negotiate”.

    While the content of any future agreement remains unclear, Iranian officials say the 10-point plan includes sanctions relief for Iran and allows the country to retain control over the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal also says the US would accept Iran’s domestic uranium enrichment, according to Iranian media reports.

    Graham, however, stressed that lawmakers would review any deal with Iran.

    “We must remember that the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by Iran after the start of the war, destroying freedom of navigation,” he wrote on X. “Going forward, it is imperative Iran is not rewarded for this hostile act against the world.”

    The senator added that Iran must not be allowed to return to the uranium enrichment “business”.

    “Time will tell,” he wrote.

    Democrats – who have been calling for Trump’s removal from office after he threatened to bomb civilian infrastructure in Iran in attacks that would amount to war crimes – lauded the two-week ceasefire.

    “Stopping war is good,” Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego wrote on X. “I am glad our men and women in uniform will be out of danger. We can criticize why we got into this war, the illegality of it and holding the Trump admin accountable. But right now I am relieved.”

    Iran hawks predict war will resume

    Trump’s allies in Congress, including the leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate, have not commented on the ceasefire in its immediate aftermath.

    But some of the war’s supporters underscored that Trump had not agreed to the Iranian plan, arguing that the truce is only a temporary pause to hostilities.

    Laura Loomer, a far-right activist close to Trump, predicted that the ceasefire “will fail”.

    “The negotiation is a negative for our country. We didn’t really get anything out of it and the terrorists in Iran are celebrating,” she wrote on X.

    “I don’t know why people are acting like this is a win.”

    Mark Levin, another pro-Israel commentator with ties to Trump, said that while he trusts the US president’s “instincts”, the war is not over.

    “This enemy is still the enemy; they’re still surviving,” he said of Iran.

    Trump launched the war on February 28 without congressional authorisation. US and Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the conflict.

    Another attack hit a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab, killing more than 170 people, mostly children.

    Iran responded with drone and missile attacks against Israel and the entire region.

    The Iranian military also closed the Strait of Hormuz – a vital waterway for energy products – sending oil and gas prices soaring.

    On Tuesday, Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, said allowing Iran to control the strait would be a “history-changing win” for Tehran.

    “The level of incompetence is both stunning and heartbreaking,” he said on X.

    ‘Ceasefire is not a clean slate’

    Other Democrats called for accountability against Trump for launching the war.

    “I’m glad there is a reported ceasefire deal with Iran. But we shouldn’t be in this illegal war in the first place,” said Senator Ed Markey.

    “And Donald Trump can’t simply threaten war crimes with impunity. Congress needs to get back in session now to stop this war and remove Donald Trump.”

    Under the US Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war, and international law prohibits targeting civilian infrastructure as a form of collective punishment.

    Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the truce “changes nothing”, stressing that Trump should still be impeached and removed from office over the war.

    “The President has threatened a genocide against the Iranian people, and is continuing to leverage that threat,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X. “He has launched a massive war of enormous risk and of catastrophic consequence without reason, rationale, nor Congressional authorization – which is as clear a violation of the Constitution as any.”

    Raed Jarrar, advocacy director at the rights group DAWN, also said US legislators should question Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran.

    “Congress must open an immediate investigation into how this war started, who authorised it, who profited from it, and who will be held accountable for every civilian killed,” Jarrar told Al Jazeera.

    “This ceasefire is not a clean slate. It should be the beginning of accountability.”

  • ‘Shrinking’ Creator Confirms Harrison Ford Will Return for Season 4 as Show’s Grief Storyline Ends With ‘An Incredibly Optimistic and Happy’ Finale

    ‘Shrinking’ Creator Confirms Harrison Ford Will Return for Season 4 as Show’s Grief Storyline Ends With ‘An Incredibly Optimistic and Happy’ Finale

    SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the Season 3 finale of “Shrinking,” now streaming on Apple TV.

    Harrison Ford is still “Shrinking.” The Apple TV series wrapped its third season on Wednesday with a poignant episode that creator Bill Lawrence has repeatedly framed in interviews and social media as a finale of sorts. That’s gotten him into a bit of trouble, as fans began to assume that Lawrence planned to reinvent “Shrinking” as something entirely different next season.

    But rest assured, as Variety told you on Monday, the same stars will be playing the same characters next season. And that includes Ford, who has been doing some of the best work of his entire career as Dr. Paul Rhoades and has signed on to return. At a “Shrinking” PaleyFest LA panel in Hollywood on Tuesday, Ford said his work on “Shrinking has been “one of the most pleasurable experiences of my life.”

    Also back for Season 4 are the rest of the cast as well: Jason Segel (as Jimmy Laird), Jessica Williams (Gaby), Lukita Maxwell (Alice), Luke Tennie (Sean), Christa Miller (Liz), Michael Urie (Brian) and Ted McGinley (Derek), for starters. And yes, they’ll be playing the same characters — but on new journeys.

    “I think people will feel when they come back to this show, that it’s a completely different story,” Lawrence said. “And the reason we agreed to do it was that we feel that the cast and characters of this show have enough stuff going on in their life that we are interested in seeing what a new story for these characters looks like.”

    Apple TV renewed the show early enough that Lawrence said the “Shrinking” writers found ways to leave Easter eggs throughout Season 3 that hinted at what’s to come — so even though next year might feel different because the characters are in a different place, it will also feel earned because you’ve already seen some of those new tales begin.

    “There’s some stuff in the third year that is left unresolved, and it hints that the next year will be different because of what characters are doing and where they’re going,” Lawrence said. “People shouldn’t be surprised if there’s a time jump and it feels like we’re telling a completely different story.”

    And that starts with the growth of Jimmy, whose journey from grief in Season 1 (losing his wife Tia) to forgiveness in Season 2 (bonding with the man who accidentally killed her) and then moving forward in Season 3 (his starts and stops to finding new love) seems to have now resolved itself. At the end of Season 3, Episode 11, “And That’s Our Time,” Paul — who had just relocated to Connecticut — makes a quick flyby back to L.A. to help set Jimmy on his new path, starting by tricking him into breakfast with Cobie Smulders’ Sofi.

    “If the fourth season of this show came on and Jimmy was like, ‘I’ve been thinking about it. I’m still super sad about my wife,’ I’d be like, ‘turn the TV off.’ You can’t do that again,” Lawrence said. “So we’re hoping people feel it’s an incredibly optimistic and happy ending.”

    Lawrence lauded Segel for his work in the final two episodes of Season 3 as his character struggled with sending his daughter to school and being home, all alone, while also feeling abandoned by his father figure Paul. And then it all came down to that moment where Paul made the temendous gesture of returning to reassure Jimmy that it was OK to move on. “I just really thought he was amazing, watching him and feeling, as a fan of the show, that his kind of suffering was finally over,” Lawrence said.

    But not all is resolved with Jimmy, as viewers saw this season that he still harbors daddy issues. Lawrence said that means Jeff Daniels will likely be back as his father, Randy Laird.

    “I guarantee you, some of the people that watch the show know that they’ll probably see Jeff Daniels again,” he said. “And Cobie too. What’s that look like for a guy building a second relationship?”

    Now that we know Ford is back (and presumably, Wendie Malick as his new wife Julie), you can surmise that part of his new storyline will still intersect Alice, who long relied on Paul as her therapist and will now be living just an hour away.

    “It’s obviously with great intent that Harrison’s character is moving to a state where Alice goes to college,” Lawrence said.

    Paul, of course, continues to face the reality of his Parkinson’s disease — and that will remain an important part of that character’s journey. In Season 3, Paul got to bond with fellow Parkinson’s patient Gerry, played by guest star Michael J. Fox. Lawrence said he hoped to bring back Fox for Season 4 in some capacity, and at PaleyFest, Fox said he was up for it: “I would love to do it – it would be my honor,” he said.

    Luke Tennie, Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox, Jason Segel, Christa Miller, Bill Lawrence, Ted McGinley and Michael Urie at PaleyFest LA’s “Shrinking” panel on April 7.

    Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, Gaby will be taking over Paul’s practice and facilities to build a new crisis therapy clinic. But she’s still mourning the loss of her patient Maya (Sherry Cola), who died by suicide in Season 3.

    “What’s it look like for a character like Gaby to have lost a patient in a fairly straightforward practice, and then, for whatever reason, be diving into treating people that are only dealing with stuff like that?” Lawrence said. “There’s the trauma of losing a patient that you may have crossed some boundaries and gotten too close to going directly into that world. Also, there’s still some tension between Gaby, her mom and her sister.”

    Among other main characters, empty nesters Liz and Derek discovered in Season 3 that one of their sons is about to have a baby, giving the show plenty to mine as they will adjust to being grandparents. (Guest star Candice Bergen might also return as Derek’s mother — and Liz’s nemesis.) Sean has moved out of Jimmy’s pool house, has reunited with his girlfriend Marisol (Isabella Gomez) and is on his way to becoming a chef. Brian is still adjusting to being a parent, a role he was hesitant to fill at first.

    “Sometimes people feel like Brian was somebody that entered, at least reluctantly, into building and having a family, and what is like that look like? We know that Brian’s childhood was tumultuous in terms of where he grew up, and their attitude towards his sexuality, but we still haven’t met his mom,” Lawrence said. “That’s with great intent.”

    When asked if he has another three-season structure in mind for the next “Shrinking” chapter, Lawrence said he hadn’t mapped out a long-term plan with Apple TV or series producers Warner Bros. TV just yet. But, he added, “We aren’t going into this next season feeling like it’s the last one. There will always be material. You want to feel that people are changing and evolving. So, as long as we feel like we’re not treading water, and that we’re telling a new kind of cool story, we’ll hang with it. And who’s to say where a show like this could go.”

    But as he sets out for a different “Shrinking” in Season 4, Lawrence also promised some consistency: “People will still live where they live. This is still a found family show where people think they spend way too much time together. And people will still recognize sets and locations, and even if they’ve been superficially changed or have a new look. I don’t want the show to suddenly be like, ‘oh, so they work at a corporate office downtown!’ Hopefully it will feel the same, but different in the story that we’re telling.”

    Writing is already under way on Season 4, and Lawrence said he thought fans “will dig it. We wouldn’t do this show if all the actors and actresses didn’t want to keep going. The main impetus for continuing on and coming up with another story is, yes, we’re lucky enough that Apple wants us to keep going. But all the performers are having a blast. I feel like there’s plenty of stories to tell with these characters. We just can’t tell this one anymore.”

  • Allu Arjun, Deepika Padukone, Director Atlee Unite for Fantasy-Action Film ‘Raaka,’ Backed by Sun Pictures

    Allu Arjun, Deepika Padukone, Director Atlee Unite for Fantasy-Action Film ‘Raaka,’ Backed by Sun Pictures

    India’s Sun Pictures has unveiled the title of its large-scale fantasy-action collaboration between director Atlee, Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone: “Raaka.”

    The announcement came Wednesday, on Arjun’s birthday, accompanied by a title poster that leans into dark, creature-driven imagery.

    Atlee, whose credits include the Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster “Jawan” as well as Tamil-language hits “Mersal” and “Bigil,” described the project as a long-gestating passion. “‘Raaka’ isn’t just a film… it’s a part of me I’ve carried for years. For 18 years, I held on to one idea, never letting it fade. It tested me, shaped me, and stayed with me through everything. And honestly… this is just the beginning,” he said.

    Sun Pictures, the Chennai-based production banner, said the film represents its highest ambitions for Indian cinema’s international reach. “Sun Pictures is privileged to bring together the singular storytelling of Atlee and the iconic stature of Allu Arjun in a project built for the world,” the company said in a statement.

    Arjun, who won the Indian National Film Award for best actor for his performance in “Pushpa: The Rise,” arrives at “Raaka” off the back of a franchise that reshaped Indian cinema’s commercial landscape. The first “Pushpa” film, directed by Sukumar and co-starring Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil, grossed some $42 million worldwide on its 2021 release. Its 2024 sequel, “Pushpa 2: The Rule,” collected approximately $194 million globally, making it the third-highest-grossing Indian film of all time behind “Dangal” and “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.”

    Padukone, who previously worked with Atlee on “Jawan” opposite Shah Rukh Khan, joins the project as female lead – her first collaboration with Arjun. Her casting was announced by Sun Pictures last year.

  • Sony teases its next-gen ‘True RGB’ Mini LED TV technology

    This year at CES 2026 everybody was pretty confused about the new “Micro RGB” and “RGB Mini LED” TVs that use similar technology but carry different names. Now, Sony has come up with another label for its own Mini LED TVs with RGB backlighting: True RGB. The idea is to emphasize that the individual red, green and blue LED backlights allow for “purer color, greater brightness, and the largest color volume ever achieved in Sony’s home TV history,” the company said.

    To be clear, this is not some new technology that Sony just came up with — it’s the same Micro RGB tech we saw earlier this year from Samsung, LG, HiSense and others. These TVs use pure red, green and blue LED backlights along with an LCD layer (rather than solid blue LEDs and quantum dots like Mini LED TVs) to produce the final picture. This display tech is supposed to deliver better color accuracy and more brightness than regular Mini LED TVs. (It’s not the same as OLED tech, in which each pixel acts as a light source.)

    Sony rebrands its RGB Mini LED TVs as 'True RGB'

    Sony’s True RGB backlight tech (right) compared to current Mini LED TVs (Sony)

    However, Sony says that the way it processes the image makes its True RGB TVs stand out from rivals. To control the LEDs more precisely, it borrowed algorithms from its wildly expensive professional reference monitors. That supposedly allows for more precise color control and higher brightness that allow movies and series to look more like the creators intended. It also reduces the “blooming” that occurs when light leaks into neighboring pixels, while improving color accuracy when viewing the TVs from an angle.

    Every TV maker claims to have the best technology, but Sony has a lot of credibility due to its history with cinema cameras, Hollywood productions and reference monitors. We’ll have to wait until spring this year to see the new Bravia True RGB TVs for ourselves, but prior to that, the company has promised to release “additional details” about them in the near future.

  • Bloomberg Analyst McGlone, Who Forecasts Bitcoin Will Reach $10,000: “It Could Stabilize Under Certain Conditions”

    Bloomberg Analyst McGlone, Who Forecasts Bitcoin Will Reach $10,000: “It Could Stabilize Under Certain Conditions”

    Bloomberg senior commodities strategist Mike McGlone shared a noteworthy assessment of Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market in general.

    McGlone stated that current macroeconomic conditions are putting pressure on risky assets, and that the scenario in which the Bitcoin price could fall to the $10,000 level in the long term is becoming increasingly discussed.

    “Bitcoin Will Only Stabilize If US Stocks Remain Strong”

    According to McGlone, the resilience of US stock markets, in particular, plays a critical role in this scenario. The strategist argued that Bitcoin, among millions of crypto assets, could stabilize under certain conditions, but this depends on the stock markets remaining strong. However, he noted that the low volatility in US stock markets despite rising risk indicators in commodities like gold and oil is “a rare occurrence in history.”

    Related News Developers of a Project Issued an Urgent Call for Their Own Cryptocurrency Platform: “Everyone Should Withdraw Their Liquidity Immediately”

    On the other hand, McGlone compared the current market dynamics to the process leading up to the 2008 global financial crisis. Recalling that rising oil prices had historically paved the way for recessions, the strategist stated that a similar pattern could re-emerge. In this context, he added that movements in energy markets are critical for the global economic outlook.

    McGlone also shared his “normalization” expectations for 2026. According to the analyst, possible scenarios include WTI oil prices heading towards $40, copper towards $4, US Treasury yields towards 4%, gold towards $4,000, and silver towards $50.

    In his assessment of the crypto market, McGlone also referenced Michael Saylor’s past statement, “We buy Bitcoin with money we can’t afford to lose,” noting that such approaches reflect periods of excessive risk appetite. McGlone added that MicroStrategy is a pioneer in this field with its Bitcoin investments.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Bitcoin Exchange Biinance Announces It Will Support This Altcoin’s Network Upgrade and Hard Fork! Here Are the Details

    Bitcoin Exchange Biinance Announces It Will Support This Altcoin’s Network Upgrade and Hard Fork! Here Are the Details

    Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has announced it will support the network upgrade and hard fork process on the Polygon network.

    According to a statement from the exchange, certain transactions will be temporarily suspended to protect user experience.

    Binance announced that it will cease deposit and withdrawal operations for tokens on the Polygon network as of April 8, 2026, at 4:00 PM. This step was taken to prevent potential technical disruptions during the network upgrade.

    The network update and hard fork are expected to take place around 5:00 PM on the same day, at a block height of 85,268,500.

    The exchange stated that only deposit and withdrawal transactions would be affected by this process, while trading would continue uninterrupted. Users will be able to continue trading their Polygon network assets on Binance.

    Binance also stated that all technical requirements for the upgrade process will be met by the platform and users will not need to take any additional action. Deposit and withdrawal operations will be reopened once the network upgrade is complete and the system is stable, although no further announcements may be made regarding this.

    Experts emphasize that while these types of network updates generally provide performance improvements and security enhancements, temporary transaction restrictions should be carefully monitored by investors.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • ‘The Trio’ First-Look Clip Teases Seductive SkyShowtime Swedish Original (Exclusive)

    ‘The Trio’ First-Look Clip Teases Seductive SkyShowtime Swedish Original (Exclusive)

    SkyShowtime‘s Swedish original series The Trio (Trion), an adaptation of the bestselling coming-of-age novel by Johanna Hedman, is described as “a story about love, sex and passion.”

    The six-part show, starring August Wittgenstein (Das Boot, The Crown, Faithless, Tomb Raider), Felix Sandman (Home for Christmas, Quicksand), Seth Manteus (Cherries) and Rebecka Harper, received a premiere date on Wednesday, namely June 1. The first two episodes of the show will premiere that day, followed by two new episodes weekly after that. 

    THR can also reveal an exclusive teaser for the series below.

    “When middle-aged Hugo is approached by the daughter of both of his childhood loves, he is thrown back 20 years in time,” reads a synopsis for the series. “Hugo is about to embark on his first years at university and has moved to Stockholm to become a resident of the Stiller family. This is where he meets Thora, the daughter of the house. This is also where he meets August, Thora’s constant companion and occasional lover. This is just the beginning of a wonderful friendship, of a whirlwind love affair, of the realization that nothing will ever be the same again. This is also the reason why Hugo never truly moved on. Will he dare to reclaim everything he has lost?”

    Kai Finke, chief content officer at SkyShowtime, has called The Trio “a passionate and fearless exploration of desire and connection,” adding that the series “is unlike anything else we’ve commissioned and is exactly the kind of fresh storytelling we’re proud to champion.”

    ‘The Trio,’ courtesy of Alfred Bolsöy

    Courtesy of SkyShowtime

    Anders Hazelius, the director of the series, written by Veronica Zacco, has called it “an intoxicating, passionate, and bittersweet tale of the conflict between the longing for love and the yearning for freedom.”

    SkyShowtime said about the series on Wednesday: “Laced with yearning and nostalgia, The Trio (Trion) combines a sensuous, sophisticated love story with a poignant, bittersweet reflection on the relentless passage of time, and through rich characterization and emotional storytelling, the series explores Hedman’s timeless themes of desire and loss.”

    The Trio is produced by SF Studios in co-production with SkyShowtime, ZDF, SVT, Film Stockholm and Night Train Media. Ina Sohlberg, Tina Bergström, Emma Hägglund and Susann Billberg Rydholm serve as the producers and executive producers for SF Studios. Eccho Rights is handling international sales.

    The first clip, which THR can reveal here, teases the emotion, the intimacy, and the love triangle that audiences can expect from the series. Watch the teaser for The Trio here.

  • Climate activist Greta Thunberg slams Trump’s threats against Iran

    Climate activist Greta Thunberg slams Trump’s threats against Iran

    For much of Tuesday, it was unclear whether the United States would be launching a full-scale attack on Iran’s civilian infrastructure.

    But US President Donald Trump’s threat against Iran – that “a whole civilization will die tonight” – prompted condemnation from one of Generation Z’s most prominent activists.

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    Swedish advocate Greta Thunberg expressed dismay at what she described as a muted public reaction to Trump’s threat.

    Known for her activism on issues such as climate change and Gaza, Thunberg linked Trump’s comments to wider questions of passivity in the face of war crimes.

    “The president of the United States just said that a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Thunberg said in an Instagram video on Tuesday, shortly before a ceasefire was announced.

    “And no one is reacting. This speaks for itself. What the f*** is anyone even doing at this point?”

    She called on her viewers to stop such rhetoric from becoming the status quo.

    “We have normalised genocide, total annihilation of entire people, the systematic destruction of the biosphere which we are all depending on to survive, and that corrupt, racist war criminals can act with complete impunity,” she said.

    “But even though we have allowed far too much so far, it is not too late to say stop.”

    Experts have noted a generational divide among perspectives about the US and Israeli war against Iran.

    In the US, polls have found that young people are more likely to express scepticism about the war, as well as support for Israel and US intervention more broadly.

    Scepticism about intervention

    Gen Z would not be the first generation to oppose a war that their elders had a greater tolerance for.

    Similar divides have been chronicled throughout US history, including during the Vietnam War in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

    But recent polls have suggested pronounced opposition among young people to the current war against Iran.

    A poll released on Tuesday from the Pew Research Center found that young people across the political spectrum were more sceptical about the war’s prospects for success.

    That was even true among Trump’s right-wing base. While 67 percent of Republicans over the age of 65 believed that the war would make Iran less likely to develop a nuclear weapon, just 25 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 29 said the same.

    When asked about the effect the war might have on the Iranian people, just 7 percent of older Republican voters responded that they would be worse off. That percentage was dwarfed by the nearly 28 percent of younger voters who believed the same thing.

    Democratic-leaning voters were not as widely divided by age, though younger voters did tend to be more pessimistic about the war, according to Pew.

    Some 60 percent of young Democratic respondents aged 18 to 29 felt the war would leave Iranians worse off, compared with only 48 percent of Democrats over age 65.

    Similar trends have been documented by other pollsters since the outbreak of the war on February 28.

    On March 20, Emerson College also released a survey that found young people in the US tend to fear the outbreak of war more than older respondents. Nearly 75 percent of people under 50 thought a new world war was on the horizon in the next four years, but 54 percent of those over age 50 shared that belief.

    The publication Politico, meanwhile, found disparities in its poll of men who identified as “MAGA Republicans”, part of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” political movement.

    Only 49 percent of the respondents in that category, under age 35, believed Trump had a plan for the war on Iran. That was a far smaller ratio than the 70 percent over 35 who felt the same way.

    A continuing trend

    The generational divide has been reflected in public opinion surveys about other recent conflicts as well.

    Polls have found pronounced opposition among young people in the US to foreign intervention, a trend some critics have tied to the historical context of their upbringing.

    Many in Gen Z grew up in the shadow of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, part of the broader “war on terror” launched after the attacks on September 11, 2001.

    A separate Pew Research Center poll from December 2025 suggests an isolationist streak among young people.

    It found that only 39 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 believed it was important for the US to take an active role in world affairs, compared with 73 percent for those aged 65 and older.

    Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has also prompted a Gen Z pushback, according to polling firms.

    Since the war began in October 2023, human rights experts have documented multiple violations of international law and grave human rights abuses, including forced starvation, the mass killing of civilians and the withholding of humanitarian aid.

    Tuesday’s poll suggested that 84 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans between the ages of 18 and 29 held an unfavourable view of Israel.

    For those over the age of 50, the figure was significantly lower: 76 percent and 24 percent, respectively.

    Thunberg has been outspoken about the atrocities unfolding in Gaza as well.

    Last year, she took part in a humanitarian aid flotilla that set out to deliver assistance to Gaza. That October, she was detained and deported by Israeli forces.

  • Bitcoin Price Jumps Amid Peace Talks, Risk Appetite Ignites Rally

    Bitcoin Price Jumps Amid Peace Talks, Risk Appetite Ignites Rally

    Bitcoin price started a strong increase above the $70,000 zone. $BTC is consolidating gains and might aim for more gains above the $71,500 zone.

    • Bitcoin gained pace for a move above the $69,500 and $70,500 levels.
    • The price is trading above $70,000 and the 100 hourly simple moving average.
    • There was a break above a key declining channel with resistance at $68,800 on the hourly chart of the $BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken).
    • The pair might extend gains if it stays above the $70,250 and $69,500 levels.

    Bitcoin Price Rallies 5%

    Bitcoin price managed to climb higher above the $68,800 resistance zone. $BTC gained pace for a move above the $69,500 and $70,000 levels.

    Besides, there was a break above a key declining channel with resistance at $68,800 on the hourly chart of the $BTC/USD pair. The pair even rallied above the $72,000 level. A high was formed at $72,728, and the price started a downside correction. There was a move below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $67,734 swing low to the $72,728 high.

    Source: BTCUSD on TradingView.com

    Bitcoin is now trading above $70,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $70,500, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $72,000 level. The first key resistance is near the $72,750 level. A close above the $72,750 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $73,500 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $74,000 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $75,000.

    Another Decline In $BTC?

    If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $72,750 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $70,800 level. The first major support is near the $70,250 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $67,734 swing low to the $72,728 high.

    The next support is now near the $69,500 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $68,800 support in the near term. The main support now sits at $67,500, below which $BTC might struggle to recover in the near term.

    Technical indicators:

    Hourly MACD – The MACD is now losing pace in the bullish zone.

    Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for $BTC/USD is now above the 60 level.

    Major Support Levels – $70,800, followed by $70,250.

    Major Resistance Levels – $72,000 and $72,750.

  • SEC admits certain crypto enforcement cases delivered no investor benefit

    SEC admits certain crypto enforcement cases delivered no investor benefit

    Some past enforcement actions against cryptocurrency companies lacked clear investor benefit and misinterpreted federal securities laws, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on Tuesday.

    Since the 2022 fiscal year, the SEC brought 95 actions and $2.3 billion in penalties for “book-and-record violations,” it said in a statement about its enforcement results for 2025.

    “Together with seven crypto firm registration-related and six ‘definition of a dealer’ cases, these cases identified no direct investor harm from those violations, produced no investor benefit or protection.”

    It also reflected a “bias for volume of cases brought versus matters of investor protection,” a misallocation of resources and a misinterpretation of federal securities laws, the SEC said.

    It is the latest example of the regulator’s shift in approach towards enforcement since it came under new leadership under SEC Chair Paul Atkins in April 2025.

    His predecessor, former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, has been accused of pursuing a regulation-by-enforcement approach toward crypto. Since his departure, the SEC has adopted a friendlier stance toward digital assets.

    SEC said it is shifting its focus to quality over quantity

    In the lead-up to Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration, the SEC enforcement division engaged in an “unprecedented rush” to bring cases and moved ahead with an “aggressive pursuit of novel legal theories,” the agency said.

    Atkins said the agency has since shifted away from this approach, ending regulation by enforcement and refocusing on the commission’s core mission by prioritizing cases that provide meaningful investor protection and strengthen market integrity.

    “We have redirected resources toward the types of misconduct that inflict the greatest harm—particularly fraud, market manipulation, and abuses of trust—and away from approaches that prioritized volume and record-setting penalties over true investor protection,” he added.

    Consulting firm Cornerstone Research reported in November that under Atkins, the number of enforcement actions against public companies, including those involving crypto, decreased by about 30% in fiscal 2025 compared with fiscal 2024.

    Under Paul Atkins, the number of SEC enforcement actions has dropped. Source: Cornerstone Research

    In connection with 2025 enforcement actions, the SEC said it obtained orders for monetary relief totaling $17.9 billion, comprising $7.2 billion in civil penalties and the remainder in disgorgement and prejudgment interest.

    “This year’s enforcement results clarify the flaws of these actions and their respective penalties and re-establish the definition and measure of enforcement effectiveness, grounded in Congress’ original intent and focused on bringing actions that actually prevent investor harm instead of headlines and inflated numbers,” the SEC said.

    Some crypto companies are still in the firing line

    Despite the SEC’s enforcement shift, several crypto companies were still hit with enforcement actions in 2025.

    In May 2025, Unicoin and four of its current and former executives were sued by the SEC for allegedly raising $100 million by misleading investors about certificates that purported to convey rights to receive Unicoin tokens and stock. However, the platform has accused the agency of distorting its regulatory statements to build a case.

    The SEC also filed a civil complaint against Ramil Ventura Palafox in April 2025, CEO of Praetorian Group International, for allegedly orchestrating a $200 million Ponzi scheme. A parallel criminal case brought by the US Department of Justice resulted in Palafox’s February sentence of 20 years in prison.